On 11 March 2011, an earthquake with the magnitude of 9 struck the North-Eastern part of Japan. It was neither the first in recent years nor the strongest in history, yet the devastating consequences this time were beyond anyone’s imagination. Not only did a tsunami of unprecedented strength literally wash away many villages, defying all measures of protection that had been taken and robbing countless lives, the collapse of nuclear reactors in the Fukushima power plant and the subsequent radiation left the nation aghast before a threat potentially bigger than anything before. For the first time, a piece of land had to be evacuated with no perspective of return in the near future.
When coming back to Japan after a hiatus of a year in 2012, German photographer Philipp Zechner noticed a change in behavior, in attitude that had taken place: Gone was the optimism that had long ruled the country, people were feared and uncertain about the future. Using a modified digital camera that captures infrared pictures, he sought to translate this particular mood into a photographic series, called “Tokyo Radiant”.
An Indiegogo project has been set up to publish a photo book containing a selection of this series. The planned book will contain about 100 color infrared pictures, taken in Tokyo mainly in 2012. The longterm goal is to raise awareness and to follow up with an exhibition. www.indiegogo.com
The project’s official website is its backbone, featuring more pictures, background information and links to NGOs active in supporting the reconstruction in the regions most hit. www.tokyo-radiant.com
Artist profile:
Philipp Zechner is a German photographer mainly interested in urbanity, man-made objects and the seemingly ordinary world surrounding us every day. So far, he has published two books with renowned German publishers:
– “Tokio im Licht der Nacht”, Parthas (Berlin), 2008
– “Frankfurter Nächte”, Societätsverlag (Frankfurt), 2013
More of his work can be seen at www.philipp-zechner.com
